


SAO: Evolution

by CCL9



Category: Sword Art Online (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Adventure, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-06
Updated: 2020-08-09
Packaged: 2021-03-06 03:08:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 10,286
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25746412
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CCL9/pseuds/CCL9
Summary: The possibility dreaded by Aincrad is now reality. Monsters have become far more devastating and merciless than ever before, evolving the ability to wipe out entire cities and countless innocent lives from miles away. To eradicate this extinction-level threat, Kirito will have to join forces with his former allies and make new ones—including the girl he rescued three years ago. AU.
Comments: 2
Kudos: 5





	1. Forget Me Not

**Author's Note:**

> Hello!
> 
> As mentioned in the summary, this Fan Fiction features an alternate universe to the original anime. There will be inconsistencies, deliberate or not, particularly regarding the canon timelines, settings and events. As for everything else, this Fan Fiction will endeavor to remain true to the source material.
> 
> Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoy. Comments and suggestions are most welcome.

On that fateful afternoon, the girl stirred from her sleep to the sound of muffled roars and wisps. Half-awake, half-asleep, she coaxed her eyes open and groggily turned to the source. She found herself sitting next to a stranger—a boy, about her age of fourteen, with slightly long dark hair dressed in a black suit. Earphones plugged his ears, leaking excess sound. His eyes were closed, head tilted back slightly, and at first, the girl thought he was asleep, but then she noticed his lips moving silently.

Curious at what he was doing, she leaned a little closer and asked. But no words came out of her mouth. She was gagged. She felt and saw that her hands and feet were restrained as well, thick ropes pinning them to the arms and legs of her chair.

Reality sunk in like a brick. She and the boy had been kidnapped!

At this point, the girl had fully awakened and was uncontrollably shaking. She cried out for help, for her mother, but the duct tape muffled her words. Tears burst out of her eyes as she tried to recall her last moments of consciousness. But her mind felt hazy, her memory obscured. Visions of a grand breakfast gala danced in her head.

She looked around, confused, uncertain what to do. Questions started swimming in her head. How long was she out? Who would do this to them? Why were they brought here, in the middle of a large half-circle room filled with stacks of tables and chairs? Maybe she could find something to free herself and the boy. That is, if only she could move. She tried lifting her chair off the ground, but it was bolted to the floor. She tried again and again and again.

She only stopped when she saw the boy looking at her, eyes blinking.

“Hey, you're awake,” he said, slipping his earphones off. “Sorry, I didn't notice. I was listening to a song.”

If not for her gag, her mouth would have gaped open. Had he been listening to music all this time? They had been snatched away, tied from head to toe like animals, herded to God knows where, and he still had time for music. She could not believe it.

Then she finally noticed. The boy’s mouth, hands and feet were all unbound, no strip of duct tape, no ropes whatsoever. Realization dawned on her like a jolt of lightning. The boy was an accomplice.

“Here, let me take that off for you,” he said as he got up from his seat and stood in front of her, facing her. Slowly, he lifted his arm.

The girl inhaled sharply as his hand inched closer and closer. Horror filled every fiber in her body. He was going to touch her. She shook her head in protest, silently begging him not to. Tears burst from her eyes again and his fingers stopped just short of her cheeks.

“Sorry, I guess I'll have to explain a couple of things first,” he said, retracting his arm.

She sniffed relief, shoulders slumped, eyes not leaving his hands. As if to show he had no intention of attempting to touch her again, the boy held up his palms where she could see them.

“My name is Kazuto,” he told her. “I was kidnapped just like you, and I have not come to eat you.” A chuckle passed his lips, his effort to diffuse the tension. “You’re probably wondering how I was able to free myself, at least from the chair.” He pointed the ropes out which remained tied to his seat, then raised an arm in front of his face. “See, I can do this.” Drawing in a deep breath, he opened his hand and brought his fingers together hard.

What she saw next was the most disturbing scene she had ever laid her eyes upon. The joints connecting the fingers to his hand curled inwards with a sickening crack, shrinking the palm to the thinness of his wrist. Then he flicked his hand open and, as if made of rubber, the appendage popped back to its familiar state.

Ignoring the churning in her stomach, the girl sat for a moment in deep thought. When she had made her decision, she spoke. “Mmmph, mmmph, mmmph.”

“I know, it's pretty neat isn't it?” he said, opening and closing his hand. “Just like a magic trick.”

But that was not what she meant. She slowly bobbed her head up and down.

“Oh, will you let me take that off you now?”

She nodded yes, although still hesitant.

He knelt before her, their faces inches away from each other. “This will sting a bit,” he warned.

She sensed his fingers brush the area of her cheek just under the tape’s end.

“Ready?”

She nodded again.

“And please don't scream,” he said. “We don't want to be heard, so don't raise a ruckus. Got it?”

She nodded still again, then braced herself. With one swipe of his hand he peeled the duct tape off her mouth. To her relief, the pain was gone just as quickly as it had come.

“Finally, we can talk now.” He began untying her wrists. “I haven't gotten your name yet.”

The girl stared at him like she had seen a ghost. “Why do you want to know my name?” she snapped, her voice a little raspy from not being able to talk.

He chuckled at her little outrage. “Come on now, I gave you my name so tell me yours. It's ordinary courtesy, that's all.”

“You ask for ordinary courtesy in this extraordinary situation?” She shook her head. “You’re so unbelievable.”

“Jeez, and you're so uptight,” he said, chuckling again. “All right, I'll leave you alone about it, on one condition.”

The disgust on her face shrieked, stay away from me, you pervert!

His hands shot in the air. “It's not what you think it is.”

“Then what is it?”

“Well, I was just wondering whether I could call you by another name.”

Rolling her eyes, the girl let out a sigh. “Fine, whatever floats your boat. You're doing me a favor, anyway.”

He smiled like a prince who had just saved the damsel. “It's settled then. I'll call you _Titania_.”

“Titania?” she echoed in disgust. “Who would want that name?”

“See, there's this tale about a queen who was trapped in a cage, perched high up in a colossal tree.”

“Wait, let me guess,” she said. “The queen’s called Titania, right?”

“Spot on.”

“Now you're making fun of me,” she accused.

He simply grinned at her.

“Well, two can play the game. I’ll call you _Kirito_ then.”

“Kirito?” he echoed this time.

“Uh-huh,” she said. “He’s our charming family dog.”

The corner of his mouth twitched. “Fair enough.”

“Same as you, he had shiny black fur and eyes just as dark, but his mood was always bright and cheerful.”

“He’s probably waiting for you to come home.”

She shook her head. “Oh, how I wish. But, no. He died a few days ago.”

“I’m sorry to hear that,” he said gently as he slipped the rope from her wrists and tossed it aside. He moved to her ankles, the last of her restraints.

With her hands free, she covered her face. “We were to celebrate his birthday and mom’s next week,” she sobbed. “And now . . . well, now . . . he's gone, and I don't even know if I’ll still be around when mom turns forty-seven. The thought of dying . . . I don’t want to die here, Kirito.”

His hands suddenly stopped working. “Hey, look at me.”

She wiped her eyes and met his.

“Not one of us is going to die,” he said firmly. “No one here is going to die. I will get us out of here. I promise I will.”

“How?”

“I have a plan,” he replied. “I went outside through the window and got our bearings. We're still in South Aincrad at least, near the east border. There's a ledge out the window, plenty wide enough to walk on, but past that it's at least a 30-meter drop.”

“What? Are we in some tall building?”

“I believe we’re at an abandoned castle away from the city. We're in one of the towers.”

“This room is in a tower?” Her jaw dropped with disappointment. “There's no way we could climb down from here.”

“And so, I tried the doors. It’s locked.”

“Well of course it's locked,” she blurted, followed by a sigh. “Why wouldn't it be locked?”

“Then I went out to the ledge again and noticed something waving . . . a black coffin on a flag with a grinning mouth and a pair of wicked eyes.”

By now the afternoon was wearing down. The enormous sunset peeked from the lone window, draping the room with a foreboding red-orange glow.

He finished her ankles and slipped the rope free. “I know who took us,” he announced as he rose from kneeling.

She stood up as well, face white with horror, adrenaline obliterating the pain on her legs. “Whose flag did you see?” she asked. “Who took us?”

His fists clenched in balls of rage, mouth twisting into a snarl. “A guild called _Laughing Coffin_ ,” he replied.

The next moment she was dashing away from him, and towards a stack of furniture piled high along the wall. Once there she grabbed a loose chair and heaved it up over her shoulder threateningly.

“Hey, what's wrong?” he asked, taking a step towards her.

“Stay back or I'll hit you!” she screeched. “I swear I will.”

He stopped and stayed in place.

“Who are you really?” she snapped. “How do you know what that guild’s emblem looks like?”

“What do you mean?”

“Don't be coy with me. Oh, yes, I'm not that naive,” she told him. “You've seen one of those before, haven't you?”

“Yes, but—”

“Well, here's the news. No one has ever lived to tell what their emblem looked like!” she exclaimed. “And yet, you’re still alive. Why is that?”

He shook his head, taking another step closer. “Please calm down, Titania. I will explain if you will allow me. Just put the chair down and we can talk.”

“Stay away!” She swung the chair back and forth and, almost losing balance, slapped it onto a pile double her height. The chair dropped to the floor, knocked from her grasp by the impact.

“Titania please, just listen to me, please,” he pleaded.

She wrapped her arms around herself and looked at him. “I thought I could trust you! I _wanted_ to trust you.”

Suddenly there was a loud crack from above, which was followed by the ominous creak of falling timber. She glanced up and gasped as the towering stack of tables and chairs began to tilt towards her. Slowly at first, then abruptly. Before she could move, a deluge of steel and wood rained down on her.

“Titania!”

The next moment she was lying on the ground, pain shooting through her back. Someone had pushed her to safety at the last second. She opened her eyes and saw Kirito hovering above her, on his hands and knees, all dusty and dirty. He saved her. The realization kept her on the floor, her mind unable to fathom how easily he had thrown himself between her and the crushing weight, despite the awful words she threw at him.

“Kirito, what are you . . .” was all she mustered to say.

Breathing a sigh of relief, he gently crawled back, picked himself up from the floor and held out a hand to her. “Are you all right?”

She nodded and slowly lifted her arm out. Her pulse raced on her wrist as she watched his hand grasped, tightened and pulled her up carefully to her feet.

“That was a close one,” he said, dusting himself off. “Any later and I would not have made it in time.”

“But how? You were too far away. At that distance—”

She was stopped by the sound of scratches and footsteps running quickly. It was coming from downstairs, getting louder, getting closer and closer.

“Oh _crap_! They heard us!” he whispered loudly. His instincts kicked in, and he pulled from the wreckage of furniture what looked like a tubular steel leg of a table and brandished it like a sword.

“What are we going to do?” she gasped.

“Stay behind me, Titania. There’re three of them.”

She nodded, took a step back and glanced at the door nervously.

The footsteps stopped. Then the door rattled, and then rattled again with growing insistence.

“Where's the key?” a gruff voice on the other side of the door asked. It had an East Aincrad accent.

There was a short pause, followed by another Eastern. “It must be with the newbie.”

“Well don't just stand there, you idiot! Go get him!”

Again, the sound of footsteps, this time fading off.

“XaXa will have our heads if something happened to these brats.” It was a different voice now, and a voice she could have sworn she had heard somewhere before.

“It's the waiter from the gala,” Kirito whispered. “He must have spiked our drinks.”

The gruff voice screamed in frustration. “ _Dammit!_ I would have brought at least five men had I known the client wanted them alive.”

“Who are these brats, anyway?” the waiter asked. “Why the hell would a big shot bureaucrat be interested in them?”

“I'm not sure myself. I only heard they're kids from some rich families in Central and the south.”

Realizing there was still time before the door would open, Kirito stepped back to her side, lowering the improvised sword. “About the plan,” he said. “We were to hide behind the stack of furniture and pretend we had escaped. But that's not possible anymore.”

Her head drooped like a soaked _Reve d'Or_ rose. “I’m sorry, Kirito.”

“Hey, don't be sad. Don't worry because I have a backup plan.” He took her hand and placed his earphones in her palm.

Seeing it up close, she could tell it was of the type with built-in MP3 player.

“I've set it to play what I had been listening to earlier,” he said, showing her where to press. “The song . . . calms me down and helps me get my mind off things. I want you to listen to it while you hide on the ledge outside the window.”

She caught on quickly to what he was planning. “What? You think I’m going to go hide while you put your life on the line?” she snapped. “You're not fighting alone, Kirito. There are . . . there are _two_ of us."

He shook his head. “I can't have that, Titania. These are no ordinary thugs like you get in the streets. What we're up against is Aincrad’s most vicious and ruthless guild.”

Her hazel eyes flashed. “But that means—”

“It's going to get very dangerous here,” he continued. “This place . . . this room would soon turn into a battlefield. I cannot involve you in what I must do.”

She grabbed him by the collar and shook him. “You cheeky fool! What makes you think, then, that you could handle them all by yourself?”

“Titania, I . . .”

Her head dropped to his chest. Tears dripped down her face as she listened to the strong beating of his heart. “You promised that we're going to walk out of this together. You promised that we’re both going to live.”

He touched her chin with his fingertips and lifted it up until her eyes looked up into his. “And I intend to keep that promise, Titania. Please . . . trust me.”

For a moment, she stayed just as she was, locked in his gaze. A voice somewhere deep down said not to worry, telling her that beyond his scrawny frame, there was something special, something that could make his promise a reality.

“Asuna,” she said as she released him.

“Sorry?”

She summoned a tender smile amidst her tears, arms folded behind her back. “My name is Asuna.”

His face brightened. "That’s a beautiful name.”

She reached for his hand and squeezed it tightly. “I'm glad I met you Kirito. I truly am.”

He squeezed her hand in return. “Yeah, me too.”

Keys jiggled through the door and their hands jerked apart.

“Quickly, open it!" the gruff voice ordered.

“Here they come,” Kirito said urgently, once again assuming his fighting stance.

“Kirito . . .” She brought his earphones close to her heart, lips quivering. “I’ll do exactly what you said, so please . . . come for me soon, okay?”

“I will,” he replied, eyes fixed firmly on the door. Then he turned to her and grinned coyly. “But you'll owe me dinner.”

She giggled, wiping away a tear, and said, “It'll be my pleasure,” before running off to the window.

The air was cold outside as she sat low, out of sight, on the ledge hanging from the tower. She could feel the chill under the thick fabric of her Sunday dress but ignored the discomfort. The frigid weather was nothing compared to what he was up against. Her body knew and went on shivering, not from the cold, but from the terrifying prospect that he would not make it, that the next person to emerge from the window would not be Kirito. Shaking her head, she tried to perish the thought. Kirito would come for her unscathed and they could laugh this off over some burgers, she told herself. But the thought would not leave her, like a stubborn splinter.

_Kirito’s earphones._

Her eyes turned to the device resting in her palm. She held both ends, the short cable taut between them, and ran it over her chestnut brown hair, adjusting them over her ears. She shut her eyes, shut herself from the whole world, and hit play just as the door to the room swung open.

At first, she heard a captivating piano melody, which quickly transitioned to a catchy, upbeat tune, followed by a couplet. By now, everything around her was loud and constant, the clang of iron against iron, the crashing sound of furniture hitting the wall, the deathly scream of the defeated. But nothing registered, as if she was not even there. She had become impervious to such noises; the song had whisked her consciousness away to wherever it wanted to go. She felt light, unbridled, free.

When the chorus came around for the third time, she felt like she had known the song for years. Her lips parted, forming the lyrics, and her soul singing with it.

“Ash to ash, dust to dust; please, don't forget me.”

With that, the song ended. And, just as it did so, a hand landed on her shoulder. Face pale from fear, she pulled the earphones out and followed the hand to its owner. She found a pair of jet-black eyes upon her and her heart started to race.

“Hey there,” Kirito said coolly with half of his body out of the window.

Like lightning she bolted up from the ground, threw herself on his chest and cried uncontrollable. “Kirito . . . Kirito . . . Kirito,” she chanted over and over between sobs. Tears flowed not so much because the danger had passed, but because he got out of it alive.

He gave her a light hug and ruffled her hair. “Well now you won't miss your mother’s birthday.”

She pulled from him. “But how . . . What happened to them?”

Before she could hear his answer, a curious odor of iron and salt caught her attention. She peeked behind Kirito, through the window, and found utter chaos in the room. Wreckage of tables and chairs, pieces of armors and shields, and bits of shattered weapons lay scattered under the waning sunset glow. When her eyes reached the shadows, she froze. Four bodies were lying on the floor, all soaked in a puddle of crimson wine.

Not wine. Blood. Copious amounts of it.

The grisly sight sent her stomach lurching wildly. Everything in her vision dissolved in a swirling blur. Her strength left in a rush and she almost fell over the ledge, but Kirito’s hands quickly caught her forearms and tugged her close to his body. The last thing she heard before darkness totally claimed her was her name.

“ASUNA!”

Later, she would realize two things. One, that it was his first time to call her that; two, that it would also be his last for a long time.

When Asuna opened her eyes again, she was lying on a hospital bed, her mother sitting beside her. For a moment her usually icy demeanor melted, and she hugged her daughter, saying that she should not have left her alone in the gala. She learned from her mother that nobody had claimed responsibility yet for the incident, but when she revealed to her that Laughing Coffin was behind it, her mother reverted to her cold self and went silent. That was until Asuna asked her about a boy with dark hair wearing a dark suit. Her mother recognized him quickly enough as the one who carried her to the hospital, or so she was told. Apparently, he stayed with her for a while before going outside. He soon came back with a vase of flowers, laid it down on the bedside table, slipped his earphones around the fillet and went away again.

After her mother left, Asuna turned to the other side of the room and was greeted by a rich bouquet of blue flat-faced blooms with bright yellow centers. Tiny azure petals sparkled under the large wall lamp, inviting her to ask them what message they bring. But there was no need to; she already knew. Smiling a half sweet, half sad smile, she plucked the earphones from the vase and hooked it around her neck. She pressed play and music started streaming along with her tears.

“Ash to ash, dust to dust; please, don't forget me.”

And just like that he disappeared. She never saw him, or heard from him, again.

Until three long years later.

* * * * *

"Hey, Cap'n, mind if I join you?”

Asuna glanced up and saw a young man approaching her table. He had spiky hair and a red bandana tied around his forehead.

“If that seat's not taken, that is,” he continued.

“No, go for it,” she said, sliding her earphones down until they circled her neck like a choker.

He set down two steaming cups of coffee and pulled out a stool. “The cafeteria sure is busy, isn’t it?”

“It's the morning of the first day of school, after all,” she replied.

He slid a cup towards her. “I got your usual right here.”

“Thanks, Klein.” She smelled the fresh brew before taking a small sip.

Klein added milk and sugar to his cup and stirred it. “I hope I didn't disturb you. You seemed pretty into the song.”

She shook her head. “I've just finished listening to it. No worries.” She took another sip, this time longer. “So, how’s the morning duty of the disciplinary committee’s keenest lookout?” she asked with a bemused smile.

He put the stirrer in his mouth, then added sugar again. “Nothing much going on with our fellow students, really. It’s pretty much an ordinary first day of school I guess,” he replied, bringing the cup close to his lips. “Probably nothing out of the ordinary for a new student to camp out near the Academy premises.”

Her hand banging the table almost made Klein spill the hot drink. “What? That's dangerous! Was he hurt?”

He returned the cup to its plate. “Relax, Cap’n. He's alive and kicking.”

The look on her face said, “I don't believe it.”

Klein had seen that look too many times. “He's probably stronger than his appearance would suggest,” he said. “Come to think of it, he's about your age, too.”

“Really? Hmm.” The new student reminded Asuna of a certain someone. “What else do you know about him?”

“Whoa!” he blinked twice. “It's not like our captain to be interested in such trivial details.”

She simply took a sip, hoping that he would answer the question soon.

His mouth curled into a juvenile smirk. “Or maybe he’s the one you've been waiting for?” he teased.

Obviously, Asuna did not expect that coming; her face was blushing wildly. “What the . . . Where did that come from?”

“You think all the guys you've turned down for the past three years will just keep quiet?” he said, chuckling.

Her expression suddenly turned sullen and Klein knew when to throw the towel in.

He cleared his throat. “Anyway, about this new guy, I found him this morning sleeping outside the Academy gates. In a freaking canvas tent. How crazy is that?”

Her annoyance quickly switched to slight amusement.

“Even crazier, the Asadas of the West had put a good word in for him,” Klein continued. “I saw his papers.”

Her eyes narrowed. “He was endorsed by Sinon’s family?”

“I know, right? At first, I even thought he might be someone your rank, but his papers show otherwise.” He laughed at himself derisively. “That dark-haired camper sure as hell had me fooled.”

Asuna nearly sprayed coffee across the table. "Klein, were you able to get his name?”

He looked at her, surprised. “Uh, yeah. He told me. It’s K—”

“Kazuto?” she blurted without letting him finish.

Klein tilted his head to the side. “Who’s that?”

She sighed, and her shoulders slumped. “No one in particular. Sorry, go ahead.”

He scratched his hair. “So anyway, about his name.”

Her fingers fiddled with the earphones around her neck.

“It’s Kirito.”

TO BE CONTINUED.


	2. Sword Art Academy

“Hey, wake up.”

He heard a voice and felt a hand shaking him by the shoulder.

“You’re not supposed to sleep near the Academy gates, man.”

The voice was getting louder and the shaking more intense.

“I said wake up, _goddammit_!”

Kirito opened his eyes. His first sight of the day was a spiky-haired young man, early twenties, with a red bandana wrapped around his head. Like him, he was dressed in the standard academy uniform of navy-blue police-style jacket matched with slacks just as blue.

“Finally!” the young man exclaimed, exasperated. “You sleep like a log.”

Kirito ignored him for a moment, glancing around to get his bearings. Daylight was seeping through the canvas of his tent, which was completely bare except for him and the bandana-toting visitor crouched beside him. He could hear a lot of talking going on, suggesting that a few people had gathered outside.

“I’m sorry, but who are you?” Kirito asked groggily as he sat up straight and adjusted his uniform.

“That's not the question, man. The question is who are _you_?” He scratched his head. “Now, show me your identification.”

“The name’s Kirito.” He slowly reached into his pocket, pulled out a piece of paper and handed it over.

“What’s this?”

“It’s a recommendation letter,” Kirito replied, checking his phone and yawning generously. “I’ve just transferred to Sword Art Academy.”

The young man unfolded the paper, browsed it, and raised his eyebrows. “Seriously? From the House of Asada?”

__

“I guess so,” he said as casually as possible, trying not to make a deal out of it.

A smile crept on the young man’s face. “I’m Klein from the Committee on Discipline,” he said extending a hand. “You’ve caused quite a commotion on your first day, Kirito.”

The shutter tone of a digital camera reached Kirito’s ears and he turned to the gap in the canvas. He saw a dozen students chattering and giggling outside. Some of them had their phones out, obviously taking pictures.

“You’re lucky I found you first,” Klein said after Kirito shook his hand. “If it had been Agil, you’d be sleeping again, stars circling your noggin.”

“Agil?”

“He's also a student at the Academy. We’re sort of partners in this thing.”

Kirito exaggerated a relieved sigh. “It's a good thing you got to me first then or I would have been in a _hairy_ situation.”

For some reason unknown to him at that time, Klein laughed harder than he should have.

“Anyway,” Klein said wiping a tear from the corner of his eye. “I’m letting you off the hook since you’re the new guy.” He burst in laughter again. “And you’re funny,” he added, handing the letter back to him. “But please clear this eyesore up. Seriously, this pathetic excuse for a shelter needs to be retired.”

Kirito tried to hide a grin, amused at Klein unknowingly mocking a legendary item. “Thanks, Klein. I owe you one. I promise I’ll clean up.”

“Good to hear.” He gave Kirito a thumbs up before turning to leave. “All right, people, show’s over,” he said once he was outside.

Pretty soon the crowd scattered, and the sound of chatter and footsteps gradually disappeared. Alone once more, Kirito retreated from his tent and stood by the forest roadside where he had spent the night. With a deep breath, he took in the view of the trees, the bright light of the sunny day and the imposing edifice in the distance. Sword Art Academy (SAA), as he had come to know, was a hilltop castle erected centuries ago on a mountain overlooking East Aincrad. For years SAA had served as a safe haven for _hors de combat_ , at a time the Five Great Kingdoms of Aincrad (FGKA) were still in a constant state of war with one another. Now that peace had been brokered among them, and forced to cooperate against a common global threat, the FGKA had since repurposed SAA to serve an offensive rather than a defensive function. SAA operated under a single mandate, to whip students into formidable players capable of resisting the invasion of monsters.

Turning back to his tent, Kirito surveyed the area around him. When he was sure that no one was watching, he focused his eyes and chanted, “System Call.” Suddenly, the canvas began to disappear in a swirl, as if drawn inward by a giant space-and-time-defying siphon, until it vanished completely. Satisfied that he had kept his promise to Klein, he began his trek towards the Academy.

The way to the Academy was not long, only a couple hundred meters at most. But during this short walk, Kirito reviewed in his mind _everything_ that he had been told by his father, Minetaka Kirigaya, and by Central Aincrad’s military. Recent memories filled his thoughts, the great iron gates of the palace, the stifling formality of the briefing room, the long table at the head of which his father sat, the Grand Marshal discussing the state of the kingdom, his sister’s tears flowing silently . . . the father who entrusted him with this mission, the first of many that he will receive in the coming days.

_Infiltrate SAA and pose as an ordinary student._

Soon enough Kirito reached one of the booth gates after waiting in line with dozens of other students.

“Place your backpacks, weapons, shopping bags, first aid kits, last wills and whatever you have with you on the counter for inspection together with your identification,” the beefy guard manning the booth ordered gruffly.

Kirito complied without a word and dropped the recommendation letter on the counter.

“What, that’s it?”

“Uh-huh, that’s all I have with me,” Kirito replied coolly.

The guard looked at him in disbelief. “Then clearly you must be underestimating the Academy!” he exclaimed, almost laughing. “You won’t last a day in here without a weapon, dumbass!” He grabbed the letter and scanned it. “Fresh meat, I see. Trying to impress our ladies, huh?” Then he burst into laughter. “You waltz in here acting tough when you’re only a measly rank 4 swordsman? Our girls will rip your scrawny ass to shreds before you can even make a move!”

All the while Kirito just stood there, letting the insults slide. He cannot blame the guard for thinking him weaker than he was when he had tried so hard to appear that way. Besides, by this time he had gotten used to being belittled because of his clean looks, slightly long black hair, and delicate face.

“Can I pass now?” Kirito asked as the guard finished his tirade.

“You'll wish you can’t,” he chortled. “Pass away would be more like it.”

Kirito winced at the crass joke—if it can even be called a joke.

The guard pressed a button and the gate buzzed opened. “Go get an ID card over there, newbie,” he said motioning toward the booth window just beyond the gate. “And for god’s sake, arm yourself like the rest of the lot!”

Once inside Kirito marched in the direction the guard pointed, weaving through the crowd of students which had become thicker. The booth this time was staffed by a middle-aged lady with a kind-looking face. The word ‘Registrar’ was plastered across the wall behind her.

“What can I do for you?” she asked with a smile through the hole in the glass.

“I would like to get an ID, please.” Kirito handed to her the recommendation letter.

“A new student, hmm,” she said as she went through the document. “That’s a surprise, pleasant, mind you. We don't get new students here very often.” She turned to her computer. “I'll be asking you questions, some of which have already been answered in the letter, but the important thing is for you to answer them truthfully. Policy, procedure and all that stuff, you know.”

Kirito nodded, indicating that he understood.

The lady smiled at him. “Player name, please?”

“Kirito.”

“First Name?”

“Kazuto.”

“Last Name?”

He paused for a moment. “Narusaka.”

“Age?”

“17.”

Several more questions were asked about his personal data, to all which Kirito replied in a wary but determined manner. After obtaining his ID card, he decided to heed the words of the overbearing guard and secure himself a weapon. He supposed that since everyone was armed anyway, having a sword at his side would not hurt the mission, so long as the sword was nowhere near as powerful or as rare as his two legendary blades, _Elucidator_ and _Dark Repulser_.

He viewed the map of the Academy he had downloaded to his phone and headed straight toward the armory.

* * * * *

“Not too shabby,” he commented to himself as he looked around the vast collection of armaments on display. There were all sorts of weapons, ranging from melee such as swords, daggers, spears, axes and maces to bows and arrows to guns. Nothing too rare or too powerful but Kirito was quite impressed with the overall quality of the selection. As to be expected from East Aincrad’s leading academy, SAA did not skimp on weapons and ammunitions.

While walking down the aisle marked ‘one-handed sword’, a nondescript long sword caught his eye. It seemed common enough to be unremarkable; it was perfect for his purpose. He picked it up from the rack, walked across the armory and laid it down in front of the massive bald man behind the counter. “I would like to—”

“You have to wait for your turn,” the big guy said, motioning toward the two ladies having a go at the training dummy. He then gave the sword a quick glance. “ _Anneal Blade_ , hmm,” he mused, stroking his goatee. “Good eye there, man.”

“You think so?” Kirito examined the weapon. Its silver blade and guard, and black hilt were typical motifs of run-of-the-mill swords. There were no crystals, runic inscriptions or any telltale sign that would suggest otherwise.

He saw the doubt in his face. “You're not from this part of the world, are you?”

“I’m from Central Aincrad.” Kirito replied. “I just arrived here last night.”

“I see.” He grabbed the _Anneal Blade_ by the handle and held it between them. “This is what we Easterns refer to as a _common rare_.”

Kirito chuckled at the oxymoron.

He shared his amusement and continued, “It’s a drop from a boss called _Nepenthes_ roaming the forest west of here. There should only have been a few of these around but—”

“One day, said forest became a _common_ hunting ground?” Kirito quipped.

He looked at him, impressed. “You catch on pretty quick, I’ll give you that.” Suddenly, he twirled the blade expertly into a position where its hilt pointed directly at Kirito’s chest. “So, do you still want this _common_ sword?” he asked. “It goes well with the uniform, as half of the students in the Academy would attest to.”

Kirito grinned and took the sword. “More than ever.”

“All right, my man,” he said heartily. “Now, if you could just whack that dummy over there with _Anneal_ and tell me how you fared, I can finalize the requisition and then you can be on your way.”

“Harder than it sounds, though.” Kirito turned to look at the two ladies still hugging the dummy.

“Why don’t you wait behind them? I’m sure they’ll notice,” the big guy suggested.

Pivoting in place, Kirito sheathed the sword and clipped the scabbard to his belt. “That sounds like a plan to me,” he said before striding off.

Kirito stood near observing the girl with light brown hair practice sword-draw on the training dummy under the demanding glare of her golden-haired companion. The former was fairly quick, but the force of her swing was not powerful enough to satisfy the latter who insisted she do it over and over again. The screen above the dummy, which showed the force of the previous strike, read, ‘514 pts.’

“You need to put more strength in your legs, Selka,” the girl with the golden hair said. Then, noticing that he was watching, she added, “Okay, that’s it for now.”

“Finally,” he muttered under his breath as he approached them.

“Did we make you wait long?” she asked. Her blue eyes had a hardness to them at first, but then she frowned, and her eyes reflected concern and worry.

Kirito noticed her troubled face. “It's no big deal, really. That dummy just needs to get acquainted with my new buddy here.” He let out a smile as he gently pulled out the _Anneal Blade_ from its sheath.

“Ohh, a rite of passage event.” Her eyes were suddenly sparkling. “Please, let me spot for you. It's the least I can do.” She extended her hand. “I’m Alice.”

“Kirito.” He clasped her hand in his. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Alice. Actually, I could use some help.”

Her lips curled into a determined smile. “All right, Kirito, let’s do this.” She cleared her throat, then continued in a formal tone, “As your spotter, paramount among my duties is to remind you that before you make each and every attempt, it is imperative that you first state your player name, rank, class and weapon, as well as the sequence of the attempt. You have three attempts. I’ll keep track of your scores.” She sidestepped to make way for him. “Ready?”

“Yes, I am ready,” he replied ceremoniously before advancing toward the dummy and stopping short before it. Raising his sword over his head, he consciously adjusted his stance with the purpose of reducing his effective strength to a bare but acceptable minimum. He supposed that he could use this opportunity to lie low rather than show off as the case was with most students.

“Kirito, rank 4, swordsman, _Anneal Blade_ , first of three attempts,” he declared before lunging at the dummy, burying his sword into its skull. He took a calm breath in and looked at the screen. It read ‘520 pts.’

Alice slammed her hands on her hips and put her face in Kirito’s. “What was that about?” she asked, a bit irritated.

He looked at her innocently, blinking his eyes. “What’s wrong?”

She shook her head in disappointment. “You deliberately held back,” she said pointing to his score.

He tried to hide the surprise on his face. _She's sharp as a tack._ “Sorry, I’m still getting the feel for this sword. I’ll do better on the next one,” he said, hoping she would buy the excuse. But she simply glared at him.

“Please, don't mind me,” a meek voice said. It was the other girl, Selka.

Kirito turned to her, his head tilting to the side.

“You probably let up out of consideration for me,” Selka continued, looking as if she was about to burst into tears.

Kirito frantically waved his hands and shook his head. “That was never my intention, really.”

Sniffing, she said, “I’m sorry,” before dashing out of the armory.

“Selka!” Alice hollered, then turned back to Kirito, clearly flustered.

“I'll take things from here.” It was the big guy behind the counter. “You go after her, Alice.”

She nodded at him. “Thanks, Agil. Sorry Kirito,” she muttered before hurrying out the door.

“Ohh, man! Real smooth, Kirito,” Agil asserted once they were alone. Then his eyes widened, as if remembering something. “It's kind of late for introductions, but I’m Agil.”

“Kirito,” he said and shook his hand. “But you know that already.”

“Sorry, I was eavesdropping,” he admitted, touching his bottom left earring. “Old habit, I guess.”

Kirito waved it off. “Don’t worry about it. To be honest, I'm actually glad you stepped in or things would have been awkward.” He paused for a moment, seeming to hesitate. “So, you know Alice?”

He chuckled. “Why? Are you interested in her now?"

“Maybe.” Kirito recalled how he was read by her like an open book.

Agil chuckled again, surprised by his honesty. “I don't want to rain on your parade, but that one is a hard nut to crack. Believe me, a lot have tried, and a lot more have failed.”

Kirito looked amazed. “I bet she’s very strong, isn’t she?”

The big guy somehow felt that they were discussing two different things, but he answered his question anyway. “If you’re talking about her swordsmanship, then yes, she’s incredible.”

“I knew it,” he muttered under his breath.

Agil sighed, as if recalling something painful. He turned his gaze toward the training dummy. “She held the fourth spot for years, until her younger sister started attending the Academy.”

“Selka,” Kirito muttered. He now understood how Alice found out. She was holding back herself.

“I still think it's a waste of talent,” he had to say. “She could have made it to the student council had she given a hundred percent all the way through.”

_SAA’s student council_ , Kirito mused to himself, _where members are not elected, but selected among the best players in the Academy._ “If you don’t mind me asking, how much did she score before Selka came in?”

“Alice averaged over 5500 points.”

“Wow,” Kirito exhaled. That was over ten times the points he got, shaved off or not.

“There are a lot of exceptional players out here, you see. We’re not some second-rate academy; we’re the best in the East, and probably the whole of Aincrad,” Agil said proudly.

Kirito was very much aware of this and nodded agreeingly.

“Now, for whatever reasons you have for holding back, remember that someone's bound to get hurt now and then.” Agil turned to the door and then back to him. “Anyway, why don't we put a stop to this charade? Since you were not able to complete the three attempts, I’ll just log the score you got earlier as your average, and no one would be the wiser.”

“Thanks, but what’s with the hurry? I can still dish out a few if you want.” Kirito readied for another go at the dummy.

Agil sighed. “Aside from being pointless, since you wouldn't take it seriously anyway, we're really pressed for time.” He pointed to his watch. It read 9:30 a.m. “We wouldn’t want to be late for the ten o’clock first-day-of-school assembly now, would we?”

“Oh, is it time already?” Kirito blurted.

“Uh-huh. So, get going then. Take _Anneal_. Leave the rest to me.”

“Thanks again, Agil.” Kirito slid the sword back to its sheath. “I'm sure I'll see you around,” he said, extending a fist.

“No doubt.” His fist met his.

* * * * *

The auditorium was already packed with students when Kirito arrived, humming with loud conversations mixed with joy and excitement at meeting again for another school year. He moved through the noise, joy and excitement, found an empty row near the back and scooted into the aisle seat. Where he was now seated, he could see everyone. Their smiles and laughter grated on his nerves and ears like fingernails on a chalkboard. It had not really sunk on him that he was on a strange land, until now. He suddenly missed home, his room, his friends at Central Aincrad, the sister who had cried when he left. Suddenly he missed them all.

“Big brother.”

_Suguha!_ He snapped his neck to the source of the voice, but all he saw were more unfamiliar faces.

“Kirito.”

He heard someone call him again. Pinching the bridge of his nose, he wondered if homesickness was getting the better of him.

A hand landed on his shoulder. “Dude, what’s wrong with you?”

He looked up to see Klein with Agil behind him. Agil recognized him with a smile and a nod.

“Scoot over, will you?” Klein said.

Seemingly relieved at seeing familiar faces, Kirito got up and moved to the next two seats to give room for Klein and the big guy.

“Where the hell were you looking? I was right behind you,” Klein said once he got seated.

“Sorry, I thought I heard someone I know.”

Klein casted a suspicious eye at him. “Are you sure you're not just checking girls out?”

“What?” Kirito sat up straight, shocked.

“I knew it,” he snapped, and spun around to where Kirito had been looking. “Let's see—” Klein’s eyes suddenly widened. “Oh boy, I’m sorry, but she's wayyy out of your league.”

“Oh really.” Kirito leaned closer to him and focused his eyes. “Who are we talking about again?”

“The chick with the long, chestnut brown hair.” He pointed with his lips. “Asuna Yuuki.”

Klein was right, he did notice her a while ago. She stood out; she was very pretty, after all. “Yuuki, huh,” Kirito muttered thoughtfully.

“Yep, the same Yuuki, the family who rules South Aincrad,” Klein said as a matter-of-factly.

“Her uniform is of a different color,” Kirito observed, noticing her red and white ensemble.

“Oh, that’s because she’s a member of the student council.” Klein gave him a playful punch on the shoulder. “You’ve got guts, aiming for the Vice President on your first day.”

Kirito simply laughed it off. Romance was the last thing on his mind right now. He only had one aim—the mission.

Agil suddenly spoke. “It looks like you're enjoying yourself plenty, Kirito.”

Klein looked at them, surprised. “What, you know each other?”

“He's the one I've been telling you about,” Agil said.

Klein pointed at Kirito, leaning in a little closer for emphasis. “He’s the reason you got held up at the armory?” He paused, trying to wrap his head around this. “Which means, he's also the one Alice spotted for?”

“One and the same person.”

Klein grabbed Kirito by the shoulders. “For real? I guess I underestimated you, man. I mean, Alice just doesn't talk to anybody, you know, much less _spot_ for them.” He glanced back at Asuna and grinned a mischievous smile. “You might even have a shot at her,” he said in a softer voice.

The comment elicited another laugh from him. “Klein, please, you’re giving me way too much credit. I'm nothing but your ordinary, everyday play . . . I mean student.”

“I'm not too sure about that,” Agil said, stroking his chin.

Just then, the yellow lights of the auditorium faded briefly and then blinked out. In the ensuing darkness, the front wall-to-wall screen came to life with SAA’s emblem, casting an eerie glow across the hall.

Kirito watched the stage for a moment before a string of lights around its perimeter came to life. Right on cue, two ladies entered from the side, one with short, pale blue hair, and the other one with long, silver hair. He immediately recognized them as Shino Asada, the daughter of the most powerful house in West Aincrad, and Quinella, the Administrator of the Axiom Church, North Aincrad’s ruling body. They were followed by Asuna, with her regal bearing and confident strut, and a tall, muscular man with steel-gray hair, who Kirito could have sworn met his gaze for a moment before looking away.

With them all having assumed their places, a skinny man came out in a long, white lab coat with a microphone in his hand.

“There’s the student council spread at the back,” Klein said, slightly tilting his head up. “And that’s Chairman Kayaba and his fetish for white coats. Pretty weird, really, for a potential successor to the East Aincrad monarchy.”

“Who’s the guy beside Asuna?” Kirito had to ask.

“You mean Heathcliff? He’s the student council president and the Chairman’s brother.”

_He’s a Kayaba too?_ Kirito was surprised he had not heard of him before.

Klein whistled, impressed with the lineup before him. “Heirs of the north, south, east and west kingdoms all in one student council? Fancy that.”

“Not only that, they’re also top players in their own right; possibly the strongest student council ever assembled,” Agil commented without reservation. “Must be fate that brought them together.”

Kirito suddenly felt a shiver slide down his spine. _Fate?_ The word had an ominous ring to it. But before he could ponder the matter, his thoughts were cut off by a screeching feedback from the microphone.

“Students and faculty members, my dear players, good morning to you all. Welcome to another session of the game called life.” Chairman Kayaba’s voice boomed through the speakers.

Klein yawned, arms stretched above his head. “I don't know about you guys, but I’m gonna save myself from this _snoozefest_. Just wake me up when it’s over.”

“Quit it,” Agil hissed, elbowing his ribs in the middle of his yawn. Klein lurched forward in his seat, almost falling.

The chairman continued, “I am quite sure that you are all preparing yourselves to listen to what you are certain would be yet another boring speech.” He chuckled and some smiled in return, able to share in his sardonic amusement. “I know also that you are all brimming with excitement at meeting your fellow students again.” He hesitated for a moment. “That is why I _hate_ to be the bearer of the following depressing news.”

Murmurs erupted across the auditorium as SAA’s emblem on the large screen was replaced by a video footage of a burning building. Loud cries and incredulous gasps soon followed as the view zoomed out to show huge piles of wreckage, overturned burned-out cars, several twisted lampposts, severed power and communication lines, and rows and rows of more buildings on fire.

Questions flew from all corners. “What the hell happened?” “When was that?” “Are there casualties?” “Was it monsters?” The chairman raised his hands to quiet the assembly. After the students settled down, he motioned toward the screen and dropped the bombshell.

“This is a live feed from the border city of Tolbana. It’s happening now as we speak.”

Klein glanced over at Agil and then at Kirito in shock. “Tolbana’s only a city away from here.”

“I know someone there,” Agil said, pondering deeply. “Argo, a student of Tolbana Academy. I hope she got out in time.”

The chairman swallowed before he spoke again. “Initial reports from the Liberation Force state that the city was attacked this morning by half a dozen _Gleam Eyes_.”

The screen transitioned to a herd of two-legged beasts, numbering six in all, with deep blue skin and goat-like heads growing out of their shoulders. All of them had their jaws open, preparing to fire an ominous-looking purple energy sphere from their mouths. Cold icy blue eyes glinted menacingly.

“This photo was taken earlier by a raiding party three kilometers east of Tolbana. The monsters retreated to the nearby labyrinth soon after engaging.”

Frantic conversation filled the room once more in a barreling wave. “Surely, they can’t be working together, that’s impossible!” “Gleam Eyes are solitary bosses, aren’t they?” “How the hell could they have launched an attack from that far away?”

Chairman Kayaba went on in a louder voice. “As you have just witnessed, what we had thought impossible is now reality. Bosses, perhaps even lesser monsters, are evolving, and at an alarming rate. They have become stronger, bolder, more tactical.” He crossed his arms and shook his head. “I must admit our border defenses were caught off-guard by this recent assault. Who would have expected that monsters could develop the capability to level cities from miles away?”

Then his voice grew somber. “The attack at Tolbana was, to say the least . . . overwhelming. I was told that everything was wiped out within half a kilometer of ground zero. Over ten thousand innocent lives were lost today.”

This time, everyone was still and quiet as they grasped the extent of the destruction and dealt with feelings of frustration at their helplessness to prevent it. Silence was all over, mixed with sadness, fear, anger and vengeance.

The chairman passed a hand over his face, seeming to wipe away invisible sweat. “In the face of such utter atrocity, we are called again to defend Aincrad from the menace of monsters, albeit this time in their more lethal form. Our enemies are deadlier than any other foes we have faced in battle. Your safety has become more paramount than ever before. Therefore, to enhance everyone's survival, I have reevaluated how player parties are organized and reached a decision.”

He paused as several gasped reached his ears, as if the students knew what was coming next.

When he was sure he had their attention again, he announced, “I hereby reinstate the Balanced Party System, effective immediately.”

Klein brought his palm to his forehead in disbelief. “Come on, not this again.”

“This would create more problems than it would solve,” Agil said grimly. “I only hope there won’t be a repeat of the events two years ago.”

Kirito understood their concerns. The balanced party system, after all, forced high-ranking players to team up with students of much lower ranks. While the system significantly improved the overall survivability of the party vis-à-vis a team composed solely of low-rankers, low-ranking players were often seen as deadweights who held the party back and stifled the high-ranker’s growth. These drawbacks to the system triggered certain high-ranking students in the past to actively weed out unsatisfactory players and increase their chances of being teamed up with more desirable students.

The chairman looked around the room for any reactions. “Questions?”

No one raised their hands despite the defiance burning in the eyes of some.

“Very well. Groupings will be posted in four days. In the meantime, I urge everyone to prepare vigorously while it’s still calm out here. A storm is coming, and you wouldn’t want to get caught with your pants down.”

Chatter returned in a hush way once Chairman Kayaba left the stage. The trio were on their feet soon after.

* * * * *

“Argh! I still can't believe what just happened! Monsters evolving? Oh, give me a break!" 

Kirito watched Klein rant and rave at Agil as the three of them slipped out of the cafeteria doors. While taking their lunch earlier, they had tried to avoid discussing the Gleam Eyes incident at all cost. For a while they succeeded, but they had returned to the same topic.

“Man, you need to clear your head,” Agil said.

Klein rolled his eyes for a moment, then grinned. “How about a little campus _reconnaissance_? That should do it.”

The big guy sighed and conceded, if only to quiet him down. “Fine.”

“Campus reconnaissance?” Kirito asked.

Agil frowned. “It’s merely his excuse for girl-watching. That idiot has bastardized the term.”

“Hey, it’s serious work, you know,” Klein reasoned out loud. “It’s our duty as disciplinary officers to be on the lookout, or else someone might cross the line.”

“Someone such as yourself?” Agil remarked.

Klein gestured to the big guy. “By the way, he’s also on the discipline committee. Besides giving troublemakers a good walloping, he helps at the armory from time to time. He's all over the place, I tell you.”

Kirito remembered him saying earlier something to that effect.

“Hey, why don't you join us, Kirito? Consider it a tour, with _incidental_ benefits.” Klein smiled at him encouragingly.

Kirito gave a quick thought and supposed that he could use this opportunity to familiarize himself with the castle's grounds. “Sure, why not?” he replied.

They worked their way to one side of the castle and eventually reached the top of a tall tower overlooking the courtyard. As he paced the deck, Kirito noticed a couple of long-range artillery slotted between the walls, all modern by today's standards. The three of them leaned on the stone railing around the tower, side by side, and Klein took out what seemed to be ordinary binoculars.

“Don’t be fooled by this baby. It’ll give you a good view of the fine hairs on Agil’s scalp from a mile away, except he has none.” Klein chuckled at his own joke. “It also picks up conversations, by the way,” he said, winking at Kirito.

“Here, use mine.” Agil handed Kirito his field glasses. “It’s not a sight and sound type, unlike that pervert’s, but it gets the job done.”

“Thanks,” he said as he took the gadget from him.

“Hey guys, will you look at that! Do you see that Kirito?” Klein suddenly exclaimed, frantically pointing downwards, binoculars on eyes.

Kirito lifted the field glasses to his face, adjusted the focus, and followed Klein’s fingers to an inconspicuous area of the courtyard. Under the shade of a huge tree, he saw a pair, a man and a woman with flame red hair, both in academy uniform. They were standing face to face and seemed to be in conversation with one another.

“It’s a confession!” Klein blurted.

But Kirito had a feeling that there was more than meets the eye. He read the woman’s lips and her words got through to him. “Turn up the volume on your binos, Klein!” he shouted urgently.

For a moment Klein stared at him quizzically. After seeing that he was dead serious, he pressed some buttons on the device and a female voice came through its lone speaker.

“. . . and you better hold still, or it won’t just be a leg you’ll be losing.”

Klein turned to him mouth open. “She’s a damn PKer!” he declared. “Good call, man.”

“We're going to save him, Kirito,” Agil said as he climbed up the railing. “You’re welcome to tag along if you want.”

Kirito watched Klein do the same.

Agil smirked at his bandana-toting friend. “Come on man, let's fly!” he said before jumping off the 30-meter tower without warning.

Klein gave a snappy two-finger salute at Kirito and followed suit, leaping into the air with no ounce of hesitation.

For a second Kirito stood in place, half shocked, half amazed. He had not really expected that Klein and Agil could and would plunge ten stories down like it was the most normal thing in the world. He had misjudged them, and he berated himself for it. But at the same time, he felt relieved that he could lend them a hand without having to hold back, at least, from jumping down the tower.

With a powerful kick, Kirito propelled himself off the deck, just past the railing, and dropped straight down. About midway to the bottom, he felt chills through his body as he passed Klein and Agil who watched his descent with wide eyes and open mouths.

__

_They rappelled on the rope hanging from the tower!_ Kirito realized too late as he rolled on the ground to his feet.

“Stop her, Kirito! Go!” Agil shouted halfway down him, seemingly ignoring that he emerged from the long fall unscathed.

With a hesitant but firm nod of his head, Kirito darted across the sprawling courtyard. On the way he cursed himself for acting rashly and possibly jeopardizing the mission. He knew he had to come up later with some explanation for the stunt he pulled and ease any suspicion they may harbor.

When he arrived at the scene, he immediately spotted the male student, who was now paralyzed by fear and shivering on his knees with his head down, but otherwise uninjured. There was another girl standing next to him, facing the other way. She had long half-up, half-down braided hair and was wearing the distinct uniform of the student council.

“What happened?” he asked, noticing that the woman with flame red hair was gone.

“I'm glad I got here in time.” Asuna turned slowly to face him. Her lips were curled in an ever-longing smile that made her hazel eyes sparkle.

“Kirito! Captain Yuuki!” Klein yelled running towards them with Agil not far behind on his heels.

They both stopped and saw the male student unharmed. “You made it,” Agil said.

Kirito smiled sheepishly, scratching his head. “Well, actually, it was not me who saved him. It was—”

He was not able to finish the sentence. Out of the blue, Asuna threw herself to him and locked him in an embrace so tight as if he would disappear into thin air if she released him. She was crying, her blushing face buried in his shoulders. Then, she met his jet-black eyes with a tender gaze, their faces only inches apart.

Kirito’s eyes suddenly gleamed in recognition. Memories from three years ago rushed to his mind, then to his lips. “Titania?”

Asuna smiled brightly at him. “I waited for you for a long time, Kirito.”

TO BE CONTINUED.


End file.
